Staying at a ryokan: what to expect, etiquette, dinner and booking tips

TUREFF• •0

A night in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, is one of the highlights of a trip to Japan. You sleep on futons laid on tatami, eat a long seasonal dinner, wear a yukata and usually bathe in hot spring water. It can feel unfamiliar the first time, so here is what happens from arrival to checkout.

Types of ryokan

Onsen ryokan: in hot spring towns such as Hakone, Kinosaki, Kusatsu or Beppu, with natural spring baths. The most popular kind.
City ryokan: in Kyoto, Tokyo or Kanazawa, often smaller, sometimes without hot spring water.
Minshuku: family-run guesthouses, simpler and cheaper, with shared bathrooms and home cooking.
Prices vary hugely, from simple inns to luxury stays with a private open-air bath on the room's veranda.

Check-in

Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. Arrive in time to bathe before dinner.
Take off your shoes at the entrance; slippers are provided for the corridors.
Staff often serve green tea and a sweet in your room and explain dinner and bath times. Tell them about allergies or dietary needs when you book, not on arrival.

In the room

Never walk on tatami in slippers: leave them at the edge of the room and walk in socks or bare feet.
The low table, floor chairs and alcove (tokonoma) are for sitting and display; do not put luggage in the alcove.
A yukata, a light cotton robe, is laid out for you, often with a jacket for cold weather. Wrap the left side over the right (right over left is for the dead), and tie the sash at the waist.
You can wear the yukata to dinner, to the baths and around the inn, and in onsen towns many guests stroll the streets in them.

Dinner

Dinner is usually kaiseki, a sequence of small, seasonal courses: appetisers, sashimi, a simmered dish, grilled fish, perhaps a hot pot, then rice, miso soup and pickles, and dessert.
It may be served in your room or in a dining room, at a time agreed at check-in. Be on time; the kitchen times every course.
Drinks are usually charged separately.
Breakfast is similar in style: grilled fish, rice, miso soup, egg and pickles.

The baths

Shared baths are usually separated by gender and may swap between men and women at set times, so check the sign at the entrance.
Baths close for cleaning at certain hours; many open again early in the morning, a lovely time to soak.
Bookable private baths (kashikiri) are handy for couples, families or anyone with tattoos.
For how to wash, what to do with towels and tattoo rules, see our onsen etiquette guide; the same rules apply here.

The futon

While you are at dinner or the baths, staff move the table and lay out futons on the tatami. In some inns, especially cheaper ones, you lay them out yourself from the cupboard. In the morning, leave them folded or as they are; staff will clear them.

Tipping

There is no tipping in Japan, and ryokan are no exception. The service charge is in the price. A few guests leave a small gift of money in an envelope at very traditional inns, but it is not expected, and handing loose cash to staff can cause embarrassment.

Booking tips

Book early for weekends, autumn colours, cherry blossom and the New Year period.
Check whether the price is per person, not per room, which is normal for ryokan.
Check whether dinner and breakfast are included; many rural ryokan expect you to eat in, as there may be nowhere else nearby.
Some hot spring towns add a small bath tax and local accommodation taxes on top.
Look at how to get there: many inns run a shuttle from the station, which needs booking.
Check whether the room has its own toilet and bath.
Single travellers sometimes pay more or are not accepted; filter for solo-friendly plans.

Checkout

Checkout is often mid-morning. Leave the yukata in the room, settle any drinks bill, and expect a warm send-off at the door. Stayed somewhere memorable, or deciding between two ryokan? Ask or share your recommendations in the comments.